LP after limpers: raise or limp more?!

[roy3]

Dear mastergamblers,
I need some advice on how and what to play from Late Position after limpers. (And WHY!!!)

Note: this is for NL play.

I prefer to play a rather tight and aggressive game, but don’t want to be a super-rock.

I understand the concept of position, and thus that more hands are playable from the CO and button. I also understand that it is best to always give the blinds a chance to fold if there are no limpers (ie to at least open –raise with a miniraise ?!) with any hand I do want to play.

I usually open-raise in LP with 77/AK-AJ+KQ/ATs+JTs (48+64+8=120hands), and limp in with any low pair or Axs after 1-2 limpers. If there are 3+ limpers, I tend to also limp along with pretty much any connectors (65o) as well as any two cards >=T. Sometimes I also raise it up big with a small suited connector (like 76s) hoping to either play a big pot with an unexpected hand in position, or to just win it preflop.

Does this seem reasonable?

The problem I find with limping along with marginal hands is that there are few chances to win big pots, but plenty of poor situations with questionable draws…

I just don’t feel confident in how to adjust to limpers since I don’t understand the pro’s and cons of it.
Do you guys tend to open-raise with more hands after limpers, or fewer and just limp along with some more marginal hands?

For example, with half-decent (?) marginal hands like KTs or QTs or J9s what is your thinking?
To raise it up after a few limpers hoping to play a pot in position against one or two marginal (non-opening) hands? Or to just limp along? But isn’t it just asking for trouble to limp along with a couple of big cards like KT – what do you really hope to achieve?

Likewise, with something like 76os. Might it be better to play that in a raised pot, rather than to limp in with it?

Clearly, if i were to raise it up with every marginal hand in LP after limpers I'll get a ton of callers or getting reraised frequently. But perhaps that is not so bad?!

I don’t know, but hope that this forum will educate me!
Best regards,
roy3

[Rondavu]

Well there is no question that raising a pot a significant amount (more than 2xBB, is an attempt at isolating weaker hands, or having position on stronger ones that may miss a flop. Either way you don't want a lot of people in a pot where you hold a premium hand.

With stuff like J9s and KTo in late position, just limp along with everyone to see if a flop pleases you. If you have something as good as KQs in late position or 88 and 99, then you should raise more than an average preflop raise to isolate or take down the blinds.

A lot of your choices will depend on the table image. That usually depends on the stakes. Are a lot of people at your table hard to push out? Do a lot of people call raises with junk and see a flop anyway? In that setting you should be playing more postflop poker, In other words only raise really good hands preflop in any position with a lot of limpers, and bet a LOT if you hit the flop hard. That's because weaker hands will pay you off on a loose table.

If you're at an average table and THIS particular hand seems to have a lot of limpers when you hold something like KQ suited in late position, then a healthy raise preflop should still achieve isolation for you.

Another point is with a lot of limpers in front of you, your hand requirements open up. Play small connected cards and min raise them one more BB to pot build. This is to give yourself odds to draw postflop if need be. Anything else?

[rebuyman]

With stuff like J9s and KTo in late position, just limp along with everyone to see if a flop pleases you. If you have something as good as KQs in late position or 88 and 99, then you should raise more than an average preflop raise to isolate or take down the blinds.

Harrington said he would muck KTo LP after some limpers.

And why not limp 88 after a bunch of limpers. If you hit your set you are probably good and don't you want someone to hit something too?